Kip Crofts accused of masturbating in front of 14-year-old while employed at Caldwell High School

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UPDATE: Current Payette Superintendent Confirms Formal Investigations

July 1, 2025 – Following publication of this article, Payette School District Superintendent Dr. Glenn Croft contacted FLOWW Network to provide clarification about the district’s handling of allegations against Kip Crofts during his tenure there.

Dr. Croft noted that Mr. Crofts left the district before he assumed his role as superintendent. When the recent news broke regarding the charges Crofts now faces in Caldwell, several former students and community members in Payette shared concerns and personal accounts online. In light of this, Dr. Croft stated he took the time to review the district’s records and responses to the two formal allegations made during Crofts’ tenure in Payette.

First Investigation

The first allegation involved a report that Crofts “shoved a student into a wall.” In this case, Crofts was placed on administrative leave while investigations took place. The police were notified and conducted their independent inquiries.

Second Investigation

The second allegation came from a female student who alleged that Crofts “touched her backside during a PE class.” Crofts acknowledged the contact but stated it was entirely accidental. In this case, the district also initiated a formal Title IX investigation, and statements were collected from multiple staff and student witnesses. Legal counsel was involved throughout the process to ensure that decisions aligned with district policy and the law. Police were also notified and conducted their independent inquiry.

District’s Handling of Investigations

Dr. Croft stated that due to the legal privacy rights of employees and students, he is limited in the details he can share. However, based on the documentation he has reviewed, these investigations were handled seriously and thoroughly. He stated there is no indication that concerns were minimized or ignored.

Dr. Croft noted that “we now all have the benefit—and the heartbreak—of hindsight, knowing the serious sexual assault charges Mr. Crofts faces in Caldwell.” However, he explained that the Payette administration at the time had to evaluate and act on the information available to them. Without conclusive findings from police or internal investigations, and given that Crofts held a continuing teaching contract (tenure), the district could not simply dismiss him without risking significant legal exposure. Dr. Croft described this as “a difficult reality, but it’s one that public school systems are often required to navigate carefully.”

Administrative Personnel Changes

Dr. Croft noted that it is important to mention that the administrators who led those investigations are no longer employed in the district. He stated that some of the public commentary circulating now unfairly characterizes their efforts as enabling or indifferent, but that this does not align with his findings in the investigative records.

Disputed Details

Regarding the first incident, Dr. Croft stated that from what he can determine, the student was removed from Crofts’ class but was not expelled from school. He noted that although a small student-led walkout occurred in March 2021, during the previous school year, Crofts was selected by a student committee to receive the Millbrook Award, Payette High School’s Teacher of the Year recognition.

FLOWW Network has submitted follow-up questions to Dr. Croft regarding the investigations’ outcomes and documentation. This story continues to develop.

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A Canyon County grand jury has indicted longtime Idaho high school football coach Kip Erik Crofts on felony charges of sexual abuse of a child under 16, with court documents revealing disturbing specifics about the alleged crime that occurred while he was employed as a teacher and coach at Caldwell High School.

The Indictment against Kip Crofts

According to the indictment obtained from Canyon County Courthouse, the 59-year-old Crofts is accused of masturbating in front of a 14-year-old student in mid-December 2024. The incident allegedly occurred while Crofts was serving as both a physical education teacher and head football coach at Caldwell High School.

The grand jury issued the indictment on Friday, June 21st, leading to Crofts’ arrest on the following Wednesday when he arrived at his current job as a custodian with the City of Nampa. He was released from Canyon County Jail on June 27 by court order and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. His next hearing is scheduled for July 7 at 11:15 a.m.

Timeline of Events

• December 2024: Alleged incident occurs at Caldwell High School
• January 2025: Caldwell Police Department asks Nampa Police to handle the investigation 
• April 2025: Crofts hired as custodian by City of Nampa (unaware of ongoing investigation) 
• June 21, 2025: Grand jury issues indictment 
• June 25, 2025: Crofts arrested at Nampa Development Services office 
• June 27, 2025: Released from custody by court order

A Pattern of Concerning Behavior

As news of the indictment spread, disturbing accounts from former students and community members began surfacing on social media, suggesting this may not have been an isolated incident across Crofts’ 32-year coaching career.

The 2021 Payette Protest: Students Take a Stand against Kip Crofts

The most significant public challenge to Crofts’ conduct came in March 2021, when approximately 30 students at Payette High School staged a dramatic walkout protest that forced the school into lockdown. The demonstration marked a rare moment when students collectively rejected the adult authority structure they felt had failed them.

At the time, Superintendent Robin Gilbert downplayed the protest, telling media that students were protesting “a number of different things” without providing specifics. The school was placed on lockdown “to protect the educational environment for those students staying inside,” according to Gilbert.

But witnesses to the protest now reveal the specific incident that ignited student outrage and led to what may have been one of the most significant student demonstrations in the small Idaho town’s history.

The Incident That Sparked Outrage

According to multiple eyewitness accounts, the protest was triggered by Crofts physically assaulting a student in a hallway confrontation. “We literally did a protest back in 2021 at payette high school because he pinned a student to the wall by his shoulders,” wrote one former student who witnessed the incident. “I literally watched it happen and it was all because we were going to be late to class and he wouldn’t open the doors for us to get in.”

The incident reportedly occurred when students were attempting to get to class but found doors locked or blocked. When students expressed frustration about being late, Crofts allegedly responded by physically restraining a student against a wall.

Administrative Response: Protecting the Coach

What happened next exemplifies the institutional failures that would later allow Crofts to continue working with children. Rather than investigating the coach’s conduct, school administrators allegedly targeted the students who reported the incident.

“The only thing that was done was the student being expelled,” the witness continued. “I believe another kid who was out there with us yelled at him while he was doing it and that kid also got expelled.”

The response sent a clear message to the student body: reporting a coach’s inappropriate conduct could result in punishment for the reporter, while the coach faced no consequences.

Students’ Last Resort

Faced with an administration that appeared to prioritize protecting a successful football coach over student safety, approximately 30 students made the extraordinary decision to stage a public walkout. The protest effectively shut down normal school operations, forcing administrators to acknowledge the situation publicly.

“Nobody listened then and he was protected because he was the head football coach,” the witness explained, highlighting what students saw as a double standard where athletic success trumped student welfare.

The protest represented a remarkable act of courage by teenagers who recognized that traditional reporting channels had failed and that only public pressure might force accountability.

Aftermath and Cover-Up

Despite the dramatic nature of the protest and the clear message from students, the incident was effectively buried. Superintendent Gilbert’s vague public statements about students protesting “a number of different things” obscured the specific allegations against Crofts.

The witness who spoke out years later expressed both pride and frustration about the protest: “I’m even more proud I was part of that protest now,” they wrote, suggesting that time has vindicated the students’ decision to take a public stand.

A Missed Warning

The 2021 protest now appears to have been a crucial missed warning sign. Students had essentially conducted their own investigation, witnessed alleged physical assault, and taken extraordinary measures to bring attention to the problem. Yet the institutional response was to silence the accusers rather than investigate the accused.

Had administrators taken the students’ concerns seriously and conducted a proper investigation in 2021, it might have prevented the alleged December 2024 incident that led to criminal charges. Instead, Crofts was allowed to continue his career, eventually moving to Caldwell High School where he allegedly committed the acts that resulted in his indictment.

Earlier Allegations Surface

Even more disturbing allegations have emerged from Crofts’ earlier tenure at Payette. A former student, who was 14 at the time, shared her experience of reporting inappropriate conduct:

“I would like to mention that my freshman year of high school, this man reached down and touched my butt while asking ‘what’s the score?’ of the game I was keeping score for in P.E.,” the former student wrote. “I gave a report and the detective told me (on recording) ‘I’ve known Crofts for a long time and that’s just the kind of guy he is. He touches people just out of being friendly. So I’m sure this was an accident.’ Crofts is about 6’3 or so and I am 5’2. There is absolutely no way that was an accident.”

She continued: “I walked out of that investigation crying – from being gaslit into thinking I was wrong and that he was innocent. I hope that the detective from that investigation sees this and knows he messed up. I was 14.”

Caldwell High School Red Flags of Kip Crofts

The concerning pattern allegedly continued at Caldwell High School, where parents and students reportedly raised multiple red flags about Crofts’ behavior that were not adequately addressed.

“I guess he got accused a couple times of watching porn during class at Caldwell High in the last few years. Nothing ever happened… that I know of. My daughter had him for Spanish,” one parent commented.

Perhaps most alarming, another individual reported directly to school administration: “I reported him to the caldwell high administration for googling ‘is it okay for a teacher to kiss a student’ and a few similar things, but they didn’t do anything about it. It’s fucking disgusting that they kept letting him teach.”

A Decorated Career Tarnished

Crofts built an impressive coaching resume over more than three decades in Idaho high school football:

• Meridian High School (2007-2012): Led the Warriors to a 5A state championship in 2007 with a perfect 12-0 record
• Bishop Kelly High School (2013-2015): Assistant coach during the Knights’ three consecutive 4A state championships
• Payette High School (2016-2021): Head coach who helped rebuild the struggling Pirates program
• Caldwell High School (2023-2024): Head football coach and physical education teacher

Ironically, in 2022, Crofts received the regional Double Coach Award from the Positive Coaching Alliance, recognizing coaches who focus not only on game results but also on developing youth for future success in life.

Institutional Failures

The accounts emerging from former students and parents paint a troubling picture of institutional failures across multiple school districts. Allegations suggest a pattern where:

• Student reports were dismissed or inadequately investigated
• A successful coach was protected over student safety concerns
• Warning signs were allegedly ignored by administration
• Students who spoke up faced consequences while the accused remained in position

The 2021 protest at Payette High School appears to have been a pivotal moment where students took matters into their own hands when they felt the system had failed them.

Current Employment and Background Checks

At the time of his arrest, Crofts was working as a custodian for the City of Nampa, having been hired in April 2025. City officials stated they were unaware of the ongoing investigation due to its confidential nature, and Crofts had no disqualifying convictions on his background check at the time of hiring.

This raises questions about information sharing between law enforcement agencies and employers, particularly when individuals with access to minors move between positions during active investigations.

Police Seek Additional Victims

Nampa Police have expressed concern that there may be additional victims and are urging anyone with information about possible crimes involving Crofts to contact the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over where an alleged incident occurred.

The emergence of multiple social media accounts detailing alleged incidents across different schools and time periods suggests law enforcement’s concerns may be well-founded.

Community Impact

The allegations have sent shockwaves through multiple Idaho communities where Crofts coached and taught. Parents, former students, and community members are grappling with the revelation that someone they trusted with their children’s development and safety now faces serious criminal charges.

The case also highlights broader questions about:

• How thoroughly school districts investigate allegations against staff
• Whether successful athletic programs receive different treatment in disciplinary matters
• The adequacy of background check systems for educators moving between districts
• How to better support students who report inappropriate conduct

What’s Next

Crofts is scheduled to appear in court on July 7 before 3rd District Judge Gene Petty. He has indicated he plans to hire a private attorney.

The investigation remains active, with police continuing to encourage anyone with additional information to come forward.

As this case develops, it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of believing and thoroughly investigating student reports, regardless of the accused individual’s status or contributions to a school’s athletic program.

This is a developing story. If you have information related to this case, please contact your local law enforcement agency.